University of Houston Downtown celebrates Earth Day with focus on local sustainability

As part of Earth Month activities at the University of Houston Downtown (UHD), a panel discussion titled “From Information to Action: Sustainability Across Houston” is being presented.

Scheduled for Tuesday in Fondren Commons within the College of Sciences and Technology Building, the discussion will focus on environmental issues and promoting green living.

To underscore the commitment to sustainability, UHD Recycling Ambassadors will manage lunch waste recycling, aiming for a zero-waste event. These ambassadors are students dedicated to promoting environmental awareness and advocacy.

Dr. Lisa Morano, a biology and microbiology professor and director of the Center for Urban Agriculture and Sustainability, initiated the event in collaboration with the UHD Sustainability Council.

Open to the public free of charge, the event offers lunch for those who RSVP in advance.

Dr. Morano highlighted the concept of sustainability as creating a system where environmental health, economic vitality, and human well-being are mutually supportive, ensuring opportunities and health for future generations.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Dr. Morano and feature sustainability experts including Ana Bueno, an environmental reporter at Univision 45; Jaime González, director of community and equitable conservation programs at The Nature Conservancy in Texas; Naomi Kuo, artist-in-residence at the Asia Society Texas Center; and Steve Stelzer, program director at the Green Building Resource Center’s Houston Permitting Center.

These experts will address global sustainability concerns on a local scale, offer regional solutions, and suggest actionable steps for the community.